Sunday, 21 October 2012

The wrong decision on NATO

I'm afraid I cant agree with Syniadau over the SNP conference decision that a Independent Scotland would remain a member of NATO

As Syniadau points out the motion passed as amended read.....

"On independence, Scotland will inherit its treaty obligations with NATO. An SNP government will maintain NATO membership subject to an agreement that Scotland will not host nuclear weapons and NATO takes all possible steps to bring about nuclear disarmament as required by the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty of which all its members are signatories, and further that NATO continues to respect the right of members to only take part in UN-sanctioned operations."

So why not just contribute to the UN Peace Keeping force as Ireland do?

These days most European countries may members of NATO but that does not mean its the right Organisation to join.

And there are many others (either full members or associates ) throughout the World .Not all what you might call Democracies

SNP MP Angus Robertson argued,r, that withdrawing from NATO would leave the North Sea open to potential attack.

"I asked what the impact would be of Scotland not being in NATO. Everything that is around Scotland turns into a black hole where we have no idea what's going on, and that worries our neighbours intensely," explained Robertson.

Mr Robertson, along with fellow MP Angus MacNeil, told members that NATO is regarded as the "keystone defence organisation" by Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the UK.

Who the hell is threatening Denmark and Norway and Why aren't Sweden and Finland members who may have more to worry about if its Russia?

It seems to me that the SNP may be attempting to gain tacit approval for Independence from NATO members or at least limit hostility.

But they have taken the wrong step they could have maintained that an Independent Scotland could be pat of the non aligned nations of the UN and not part of an organisations dominated by the USA and it immediate allies.

It is the wrong decision taken to limit the Media attacks on a "Defenceless Scotland" . But it will mean Scotland will be tied to an organisation increasingly seen as an arm of Western Imperialism and in some quarters little more than a satellite of a US Empire.

4 comments:

I agree with you that Nato is little more than 'a satellite of a US Empire'. Maybe for the purposes of this referendum, this was the right decision. They can surely withdraw to become one of the non aligned nations of the UN at some later date?

Scotland does/would have quite a significant part of the North Sea to be responsible for in terms of fisheries patrols and protecting airspace. Joining NATO does make sense in some respects, especially if the Scots can work with the rUK, Danes (Faroe Islands), Icelanders and Norwegians.

Owen do you really need to be a member of NATO to protect your fisheries and airspace from who anyway?

Anon 11:27 bit dishonest to say uou will join NATO before referendum but leave after you are Independent.But then again its not for the SNP to commit a future Independent Scotland to membership or otherwise.

"But then again its not for the SNP to commit a future Independent Scotland to membership or otherwise."

Yes it is. The SNP Government will have to negotiate the terms of independence following the referendum, before independent elections are held. It is the current SNP government's duty to spell out a position on all of these issues.

With that said, a theoretically independent Wales would seem a much riper candidate for Partnership for Peace membership than full Nato membership. But the people of Wales are worried about other things, not Nato yet!